Recent Devotions
“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.” (I Thessalonians 5:14, ESV) Have you ever walked into a classroom and noticed a poster on the wall listing the rules of conduct the teacher expects within the class? The rules may vary somewhat from teacher to teacher, but most contain basic expectations of politeness, respect, honesty, cooperation, and timeliness. It’s the “basics” for creating an atmosphere of learning and caring. Somehow, I thought of those posters as I read I Thessalonians 5. In fact, my Bible has a heading titled “Christian…
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5, ESV) How many decisions will you make today? Twenty? Three hundred? One thousand? Researchers estimate the average adult makes 35,000 decision each day. (Your first decisions today may have been whether to hit…
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded…
Readers Loved
“And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.” Matthew 14:17. What type of person are you? An optimist sees life as a glass half-full, but a pessimist sees it as half-empty. We often look at what we don’t have rather than what we have. I remember, a wonderful old preacher, Bro. C.B. Dudley, who used to say, “Every little bit added to what you got makes a little bit more.” In the story in Matthew 14, a large crowd had gathered to listen to Jesus teachings. They were far away from any place that…
“Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually” (I Chronicles 16:11). If watching exercise clips online would increase my strength, I’d already be a healthier person. Unfortunately, I’m supposed to do those exercises, not just watch someone else sweat through them. I also get helpful emails telling me ways to increase my core strength, but just reading the email does nothing. Unless I choose to take action, I will still have flabby muscles. There are some very good reasons I should increase my core strength: To increase my overall fitness To improve my balance and stability To make it…
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“When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” (Exodus 33:22 in the New International Version.) During a recent vacation in the mountains of North Carolina I observed clefts tucked away in the rocks. They looked like little porches where a bird or small animal could stay to weather out a storm. This portion of scripture let Moses know that God was going to shelter him in time of storm. 1 Corinthians 10:4 said, “That rock was Christ.” It’s not speaking of these clefts but it’s talking about our God being a refuge. As we were walking and observing God’s beautiful creation my mind went to this passage. These clefts are not man made; they are made by God alone. He formed them with His own hands. He shelters us from the storms of life when we belong to Him.
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Prayer: Lord, I thank you for the special shelters You have prepared for Your people. Though the storm rages on all around me, I’m protected by the cleft of the rock.
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Devotion by Kaye Singleton
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Timothy 1:7 in the King James Version of the Holy Bible) Women tend to be emotional. This is how God designed us. He gave us His Word to help us deal with our emotions when they are running rampant. Emotions are real and are meant to be expressed without hurting us or others. Try expressing them to God first. When we don’t let Him know how we feel, our reactions can result in disaster. If someone is violating you, talk…
